Finance board's harsh stand on unauthorized spending

Nanci G. Hutson

Updated 12:56 pm, Saturday, February 15, 2014

BROOKFIELD -- With a clear sense of distaste, Board of Finance members Wednesday night corrected town charter violations by approving special appropriation requests for money already spent without proper authorization.

Their ire was aimed at school administrators and the town's former chief executive officer.

The board voted 4-2 to authorize $1.175 million in overspending for the school system, and then unanimously approved $790,000 for streetscape improvements at Four Corners, $250,000 of which is the town-required match for $540,000 worth of state grants.

A special town meeting will be held March 3 at 6 p.m. to finalize the approvals. It is unclear what happens if taxpayers don't approve the retroactive appropriations.

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Meeting setA special town meeting will be held March 3 at 6 p.m. for final decisions on the spending authorizations.

First Selectman Bill Tinsley said legal advice has been sought to decide the next steps if voters don't approve.

"These things don't happen overnight,'' Finance Board Chairman Phil Kurtz said about correcting the legal process related to the school district's overspending. "We don't want this to happen again, and they don't want this to happen again. This was an embarrassment to everybody.''

Public concern over the lack of process is clear, and financial decisions in the school district or municipal government must include public input, Tinsley said.

Although the school board has promised corrective actions, as well as new policies and procedures to prevent future financial mismanagement, Nepomuceno said if the people responsible remain employed by the town "that doesn't help with public trust.''

"Art Colley is now gone,'' said Kurtz, referring to the resignation this week of the school district's director of finance, technology and operations. Colley's final work date has not yet been decided. "That's one of the people. Maybe they're (the school board) working on more, I don't know.''

As for the lack of approvals for town grant funds, Nepomuceno had harsh words for former First Selectman Bill Davidson, now a selectman. Davidson declined immediate comment.

"He should know better,'' Nepomuceno said. "This was a blatant disregard for the charter.''